EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0656*
SENATE BILL 656
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By: Senators Sydnor, Brooks, Hettleman, and M. Washington
Introduced and read first time: January 25, 2025
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Baltimore County Board of Education – Alterations of Elected Member Districts 2
and Establishment of Redistricting Process 3
FOR the purpose of requiring certain members of the Baltimore County Board of Education 4
to be elected in a certain manner from certain districts in certain elections; 5
establishing the process for how certain school board districts are reapportioned after 6
each decennial census of the United States; and generally relating to elected member 7
districts for the Baltimore County Board of Education. 8
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 9
Article – Education 10
Section 3–2B–01 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 13
BY adding to 14
Article – Education 15
Section 3–2B–11 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 18
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEM BLY OF MARYLAND, 19
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 20
Article – Education 21
3–2B–01. 22
(a) The Baltimore County Board of Education consists of: 23
(1) Seven nonpartisan elected members; 24 2 SENATE BILL 656
(2) Four appointed members; and 1
(3) One student member. 2
(b) (1) Of the 11 elected and appointed members of the county board: 3
(i) 1. [One] BEFORE THE 2034 GENERAL ELECTION , ONE 4
member shall be elected from each of the seven councilmanic districts in the county, 5
established by the County Council of Baltimore County IN EXISTENCE ON OCTOBER 1, 6
2024, by the voters of that district; and 7
2. BEGINNING WITH THE 2034 GENERAL ELECTIO N, ONE 8
MEMBER SHALL BE ELEC TED FROM EACH OF THE SEVEN SCHOOL BOARD D ISTRICTS 9
ESTABLISHED BY THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS DESCRIBED IN § 3–2B–11 OF THIS 10
SUBTITLE, BY THE VOTERS OF THA T DISTRICT; AND 11
(ii) Four members shall be appointed by the Governor from the 12
county at large. 13
(2) (i) The seven elected members shall be elected at a general election 14
in gubernatorial election years in accordance with § 3–2B–02 of this subtitle. 15
(ii) The four appointed members shall be appointed by the Governor 16
in presidential election years from a list of nominees submitted by the Baltimore County 17
School Board Nominating Commission as provided in § 3–2B–03 of this subtitle: 18
1. On the expiration of the term of an incumbent appointed 19
member within 30 days after the general election; or 20
2. Within the 30–day period otherwise required under this 21
subtitle. 22
(3) (i) A member from a school board district shall be at least 21 years 23
old, a resident of that district for at least 2 years, and a registered voter of the county before 24
the election. 25
(ii) A member from a district who does not maintain residency in 26
that district may not continue as a member of the county board and the office shall be 27
deemed vacant. 28
(iii) If the boundary line of a district is changed, the term of an 29
incumbent member of the county board who no longer resides in the district because of the 30
change is not affected during this term. 31
SENATE BILL 656 3
(4) (i) A member may not be elected or appointed to serve on the county 1
board for more than three consecutive terms. 2
(ii) A member who has served three consecutive 4–year terms may 3
not be elected or appointed to the county board until at least 4 years have elapsed since the 4
end of the member’s last term on the county board. 5
(5) During an election year: 6
(i) The Governor may not appoint as a member of the county board 7
an individual who files a certificate of candidacy for election to the county board; and 8
(ii) An individual who files a certificate of candidacy for election to 9
the county board may not seek appointment to the county board by the Governor through 10
nomination by the Baltimore County School Board Nominating Commission. 11
3–2B–11. 12
(A) IN THIS SECTION, “SCHOOL BOARD DISTRIC T” MEANS THE GEOGRAPHIC 13
AREA OF BALTIMORE COUNTY FROM WHICH AN ELECTED MEMBER OF THE 14
BALTIMORE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION IS ELECTED . 15
(B) (1) BEGINNING AFTER THE 2030 U. S. CENSUS, THE SCHOOL BOARD 16
DISTRICTS SHALL BE: 17
1. REAPPORTIONED AFTER E ACH DECENNIAL CENSUS OF THE 18
UNITED STATES; AND 19
2. EFFECTIVE FOR EACH GENERAL ELECTION WHE RE A 20
MEMBER WILL BE ELECT ED UNTIL THE FOLLOWING DECENNIAL CENSUS. 21
(2) THE REAPPORTIONED SCHOOL BOARD DISTRIC TS UNDER THIS 22
SECTION SHALL BE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL IN POPULATION . 23
(C) (1) AFTER EACH DECENNIAL CENSUS, THE COUNTY BOARD SHALL 24
SUBMIT A PROPOSAL TO THE BALTIMORE COUNTY DELEGATION TO THE GENERAL 25
ASSEMBLY ON REAPPORTIONING THE SCHOOL BOARD DIS TRICTS. 26
(2) THE COUNTY BOARD SHALL SUBMIT THE PRO POSAL IN 27
PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1 OF THE 28
CALENDAR YEAR IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWIN G THE CENSUS. 29
(D) (1) THE BALTIMORE COUNTY DELEGATION TO THE GENERAL 30
ASSEMBLY SHALL: 31
4 SENATE BILL 656
(I) CONSIDER THE PROPOSAL SUBMITTED UNDER SUBS ECTION 1
(C) OF THIS SECTION; AND 2
(II) INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO REAPPORTION THE SCHOOL 3
BOARD DISTRICTS IN THE SESSION IMMED IATELY FOLLOWING THE DATE THAT THE 4
PROPOSAL WAS SUBMITT ED. 5
(2) LEGISLATION INTRODUCE D UNDER THIS SUBSECT ION MAY 6
DIFFER FROM THE PROP OSAL SUBMITTED UNDER SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS 7
SECTION. 8
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 9
1, 2025. 10